Clinician’s Role

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Detecting Bioterrorism: The Clinician’s Role

Healthcare providers are “first responders” in a public health emergency or bioterrorism attack. Early detection by astute clinicians and rapid reporting to the local health department will be critical in minimizing the impact of a public health emergency.

Bioterrorism attacks are likely to present as acute outbreaks of an unusual syndrome, or outbreak of illnesses in the “wrong” season or geographic area.

Contact the Public Health Department if you see

patient(s) with any of the following clinical syndromes:

Acute severe pneumonia or respiratory distress

Encephalopathy

Acute onset neuromuscular symptoms

Otherwise unexplained rash with fever

Fever with mucous membrane bleeding

Unexplained acute icteric syndromes

Massive diarrhea with dehydration and collapse

In the setting of any of the following:

Atypical host characteristics

Young (< 50 years)

Immunologically intact

No underlying illness

No recent international travel or other exposure to potential source of infection